Pitch-ascertaining attachment for sound-reproducing records.



T.L.KANE. PITCH ASCERTAINING ATTACHMENT FOR SOUND REPRODUC ING RECORDS.

Piptelitd Eeb.22,1910.

ment. comprising the means-of ascertaining without departing TflbMAS L. ZKANE, 0F KANE, PENNSYLVANIA.

'nrcH-Ascsnmmine s'rtrhcnmnlv'r son soUNn-REPnonUcmo RECQRDS.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. as, rare.

Application filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs L. KANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kane, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, has invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Pitch-Ascortaining Attachments for Sound-Reproducing Records, of which the following is a specification. I

The primary object of this invention is to facilitate the use of the phonograph, graphophone, and otherv similar music reproducthe teaching of music, and especially in the teaching of absolute pitch, by providing means for ascertaining the correct pitch at which any record element was produced.

A further object of this invention 13 to provide for applying my improvement, comprising the means of ascertaining the cor-,

rect pitch. by a separate attachment, which may be made and sold as an independent 111g instruments, as an accompaniment in the modification, comprising the detachable ring applied thereto. Fig. 5, is a fragmentary side view of a portion of a. cylinder record with the pitch groove inscribed thereon. Fig. 6, is'an enlarged detail view of a section of the detachable ring with modification, comprising an annular recess- I on the top surface adapted to be filled with a softer composition .such as Wax from which cylinder records are made. J 1

Referring to all figures of the drawings, the numeral 1, designates a; disk sound record provided with the usual spiral. sound groove 2, and the centering'aperture 3. s particularly shown in'Fig. 3, a de tachable. ring 4, is provided, composed of any suitable material, but preferably of such material as is used in the manufacture of article of manufacture, and applied to existing sound reprziducing records now in com-' men use, or my irvention may be applied to the record during its manufacture.

Another oligject of this invention is to facilitate the application of my. improvebination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed. It. being'understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed canine made within the scope of what is claimed from the spirit of the invention.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying. drawings forming apart of this specification, and in which, Figure 1', is a plan view of a disk record with the pitch groove inscribed thereon. a centrally sectional elevation of the record showing the pitch groove inscribed thereon. Fig. 3, is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing amodification of my invention comprising a detachable ring having the pitch groove inscribed thereon. Fig. 4, is a fragmel'itary plan view of a portion of the record with Fig. 2, is"

sound producing records. The duter portion 5 of the ring is of greater diameter-than the disk and an anpular channel is provided in the lower portion of the ring, one wall 6 of the channel positively engaging the edge of the disk. The ring 4, may be suitably attached to the record by an adhesive' medium or otherwise, and thereby additionally reinforcing the disk against breakage.

In the application of my invention I provide for placing upon the free space near the outer edge of the record, outer edge or periphery and the point of the commencement of the spiral phonetic groove 2, or uponthe annular face of the ring 2; an annular groove 8,having a substantial V-shaped indenture somewhat deeper than the spiral groove 2, to facilitate placing thestylus of the phonograph readily in position therein. Withinthis annular groove 8, isrecorded either at the time of the manufacture of the record, or-subseqnently, a clear note in perfect pitch with the instrument, or with the voice from which the record is a reproduction, and for the purposes of readily ascertaining the pitch note by the operator, I provide for inscribing upon the record in addition to the title of the selection, in the usual place, as at 9, the key in which it is played, and at the point where the pitch note is inscribed the letter A or such other letteror name indicating the note used as a pitch note.

In Fig. 5, is shown the adaptation of my invention to a cylinder record wherein the pitch groove 8, is shown placed at the end of the cylinder before the beginning'of the phonetic spiral groove 2. In the use of a between the create his own enced in using waxicylinder the student may create his own pitch groove S is shown placed at the end which the recordation in the phonetic groove was made. l

In Fig. 6, is illustrated another modification of my invention wherein there is providcdan annular rec/eased depression 8, 1n the face of the ring 4, adapted to be filled with a composition such as the wax from which the common form of cylinder. record is made.

In the useof this modification, the student can produce from some correctly tuned instrument'as a piano, upon the wax surface within the depressi0n 8", a pitch note; or any good musician can with little trouble pitch indentation after find ing the truepitch in which the phonograph record was originally rendered.

By the use of my invention it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, that a great deal of pleasure will be derived by being able to play their favorite instrument either accompanied by, or asan accompaniment to, record, thus giving playing it were, artists.

The great d a good phonograph them the pleasure of *awhacks heretofore experithc graphophonc record as an accompaniment with other musical instruments has been the diiliculty of having the two instruments in perfect pitch with one another.

it is common knowledge that the alteration of the 'rotative speed at which a record is driven, will cause a corresponding alteration of the pitch, in which the selection on the record will he produced.

practically all oi the several record rotating machines now in con'imon use, are provided with a speed control or governor the operator may adjust the speed at substantially the same rate of rotation as that used at lhe time the record was made, and by these means the true pitch of the phonograph record can at once he obtained and sounded until the two instruments are in tune.

To illustrate the operation of the means emhmlying my invention: Middle A being the tone most commonly used by musicians .in tuning their instruments, this. (middle ,A) should he sounded on a correctly tuned musical instrument, or by a tuning fork, n perfect pitch with the instrument or voice rendering the selection producing the record. and by the adjustment on the phonograph,

record may be increased or decreaseduntil the tones of the two instruments are in tune. i

In the case of diilicult for the student to tune, the phonograph reproduction can be tuned by means with the worlds best the rotativc speed oi. the

a piano or organ which are instruments being more easily tuned by the student, these can be tuned until their pitch is idcnti'al with thatol the phonograph. Thus, in adapting the phonograph to the piano, the stylus is pluccd in the pitch groove 8, ol the rotating: record, the middle A"s struck by the student on the piano, and by the adjustment of the speed of the record rotator, it may be increased or decreased until the two tones are in tune. When this adjustment has been accomplished, the stylus is placed in the spiral at the beginning of the phonetic groove 2, on the record to commence the playing of the selection thereon and the piano accompani mcnt may then be *play'vl, which ifnot known by memory, can readily be obtained, if the key in which it was rendered is written on the record. After the correct regulation of speed of the disk rotator has been found, it can be written on the record for future use, thus obviating the necessity 1 of retuning.

the A" string of the violin is tuned to the tone pitch and therest of the violin tov acg ord. The same general principles may be applied in respect to other instruments.

ity the use of the above described means embodying my invention, the amateur pianists can learn to accompany any song as though he or she were accompanying a great vocal artist. 'lheviolinist can play obligntos to the greatest singersor be accompanied by the best of piano accompanlsts or orchestra, in fact the advantages to the student and. the home lover of; good music are many and the changes innumerable.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. In a-dcvice of 'the class described, a record disk and independent means carried above the upper surface of the disk, at the edge thereof in a plane parallel with .said

' the edge of the die to form an annular channel for gripping k, the upper surface of the ring overlapping theupper surfaceof the disk and sustaining the latter.

n atta'chment for a grapho hone disk comprising a ring formed of adapted to receive a diameter than said carried upon the latter, the of the ring'bein 1 cut away on its lower side to form an annu ar channel for gripping the edge of the disk, the upper surface of the rin overlapping the upper surface of the dis and carrying means for actuating a inner portion means for actuating pitch, said Witnesses:

H. C. SWAXSON, C. C. DAVIS. 

